Riding in storms?

[Beulberg]

How concerned are you all about riding in thunderstorms?  It will be mostly wooded at elevations of 6,000 – 7,500 feet.  I plan to start at sunrise and be done before noon.

I’ll be traveling through Colorado Springs on Monday with only the one day to ride.  I don’t want to miss out on the opportunity, but don’t want to be stupid.  I think I’ll be ok since I won’t really be that high, above treeline, etc.

Thanks all!  -Bob

[Sunspot ✓ supporter]

How concerned are you all about riding in thunderstorms?  It will be mostly wooded at elevations of 6,000 – 7,500 feet.  I plan to start at sunrise and be done before noon.

I’ll be traveling through Colorado Springs on Monday with only the one day to ride.  I don’t want to miss out on the opportunity, but don’t want to be stupid.  I think I’ll be ok since I won’t really be that high, above treeline, etc.

Thanks all!  -Bob

Early start/end of your ride will have you off the trail before the lightning starts to fly, typically. Enjoy the ride in the altitude but be smart about it…  Altitude sickness can be serious, no alcohol the day prior will help.

[abegold]

Lost a friend struck by lightning on his horse in Colorado decades ago. RIP Doug Kirby. He was only 23.

 

[andrierw]

Really sad to hear that you lost your friend. Though he was young only 23. We always take care of ourselves especially outdoors

[OhioFatBiker]

23 is too young to go,  very tragic.  It reminds us how fragile life is and to respect our stay in this world is temporary.

I had a scary experience with lightning storms riding trails a few years back.  I was on a wooded trail casually cruising along and another rider blew past me and yelled “C’mon! We gotta get out of here there is a huge storm coming!”  So he rode off ahead of me and I started trying to catch up and then almost immediately the heavens opened.  A few seconds later lightning struck a nearby tree and the thunder was so close it knocked out my breath and rang my ears.  The tree fell away from me thankfully but I still almost fell of my bike.  The other guy saw the strike was close and came back to see if I was OK.  The storm was unrelenting so we still needed to get out of there so we rode like mad to the trail head.  I am still friends with him to this day,  we have rode trails together a couple times since too. I am definitely more aware of the weather out riding,  it was a scary experience.

[abegold]

Walking my dogs a storm hit and ball lighting the size of a volleyball flashed 30′ away. Got the dogs home fast. Lost a friend to lightning when he was 23 in Colorado, on horseback.

 

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